Playing around with Perspectives 3

This is just my test to see if I could import my own fill styles...and the result is, yes I can. Happy dance!

I've been waiting for this release for so long that I can't stop playing with it. :D
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  • RalfRalf Administrator, ProFantasy 🖼️ 18 images Mapmaker
    That looks like something directly out of Ultima (6 or 7). Great! ;)
  • Then I could use that with the space ship tiles and make starship rooms. Annual issue 67 and 70.
  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 46 images Cartographer
    You should do that, I am curious on what is possible sci-fi wise. You won't have any sci-fi symbols unfortunately, but I am sure creative use of the various shapes could give interesting results.
  • DkarrDkarr Traveler
    Yes, I'm so happy that fill styles can be imported.
  • JimP, I would love to see you do something with sci-fi fills. My gaming group will be starting up a new campaign using the Stars Without Number system. My son is game master, but I'm I'll end up contributing some maps along the way.
  • JimPJimP 🖼️ 280 images Cartographer
    edited April 2016
    I'm working on a perspective room with a space type floor. I should have gone smaller, but chose 1000' x 800'. The map border drew on top of the wall onstead of under it, but that could be my mistake. I browsed over to CC3 and got some symbols there.

    I think some additional metal trap doors, in open and closed, could be substituted for deck hatches. I'm using a metal Perspectives Pro door for the hatch going into the room. I chose a water bitmap fill for the floor under the room. I'll try a space type picture and see how that looks. Why ? I've read of spaceships whose floors can become transparent.

    This room could be the entrance of a luxury yacht, landed on a water world.

    reduced by 50%
  • JimPJimP 🖼️ 280 images Cartographer
    edited April 2016
    I decided to just change the background. Once you make a new fill style in a template, it shows up in the room configuration as a selection for the floor, walls, etc. I had to use a scale of 2000.0 in the background so it wouldn't tile.
  • This has the potential to be very cool!
  • Nice altar room Shessar! :)
  • Jay_NOLAJay_NOLA Traveler
    Jim, those images look like something you'd see in an RPG Maker game or other video game. Very nice other wordly feel.
  • Shessar, you are already a perspectives master. Beautiful work!
  • DkarrDkarr Traveler
    edited April 2016
    I spent a bit of time trying to get acquainted with the interface. It was a bit cooky at times, but it makes sense after you get used to it. My main problem was trying to create things and continuing to use the "flat" tools like box, poly, and fractal poly, when I should have been using the perspective tools. I'm very impressed with the automatic orienting of flat (top down) fills, to perspective (isometric projection). I was able to take SS2 fills and put them in as perspective fills and use them on floor sections.

    Also the 3d Projection and Extruding tools are very impressive, though I ran into very weird issued with the extruding as sometimes it would make negative spaces (holes) instead of positive spaces (elevations). I'll have to work on them a bit until I figure what causes the difference.

    My first foray into creating an isometric symbol was long and arduous, and in the end slightly unsatisfying. I can import the png into a symbol but for the life of me I can't get the symbol origin to match the perspective grid. All in all it was a great learning experience, even if it did not work exactly as I wanted.

    Below is a cavern area I created using multi-levels, 3d extrusion, and fractal poly (flat) to 3d Projection (isometric). I also included a sample of an isometric view symbol using the SS2 cobblestone as a fill. You can compare the placement to the base symbol to see the issues with symbol origin.
  • JimPJimP 🖼️ 280 images Cartographer
    edited April 2016
    Moving an iso tool above the floor makes a positive space, below the floor makes a hole.

    Just like this. All I did was use the cyinder tool.
  • DkarrDkarr Traveler
    Posted By: JimPMoving an iso tool above the floor makes a positive space, below the floor makes a hole.

    Just like this. All I did was use the cyinder tool.
      My problem was when I was taking a fractal poly that had been placed on top of the existing floor. If I was extruding "UP" it was sometimes creating a hole but with side walls on the front, so almost like a cup. Then I would go in the other direction and it was still creating a hole but some of the back walls were missing.

      The issue was very weird so I'll have to play around a bit more to see what causes it and if I can repeat it.
    • Looks like you are making amazing progress Dkarr. I haven't played with multiple levels yet. So many great features to explore.
    • Ooof. I've never tried fractals with Perspectives. So I have no idea what is happening to give you that. Its possible that fractal cannot be used with Perspectives.
    • Posted By: DkarrAlso the 3d Projection and Extruding tools are very impressive, though I ran into very weird issued with the extruding as sometimes it would make negative spaces (holes) instead of positive spaces (elevations). I'll have to work on them a bit until I figure what causes the difference.
      It has been my experience that it is sometimes better to draw and extrude the shapes off to the side of the map and then drag and place them. I may have read this somewhere? The Tome? I can't remember.
      My first foray into creating an isometric symbol was long and arduous, and in the end slightly unsatisfying. I can import the png into a symbol but for the life of me I can't get the symbol origin to match the perspective grid. All in all it was a great learning experience, even if it did not work exactly as I wanted.
      Interesting. Something I'm sure I'll be playing with eventually. Please post if you figure it out. My symbol creating is on hold until I can get a new digital tablet.
      Below is a cavern area I created using multi-levels, 3d extrusion, and fractal poly (flat) to 3d Projection (isometric).
      Dkarr, I've never tried a cave using Perspectives, but your results are amazing. It really looks like the cavern is descending into the lava pool.



      @OldGuy, I bought PerPro last year in anticipation of this release so that I could practice using it. It is tricky to get right at first because you really have to build the scene from back to front or else do a lot of sheet switching. But thank you for the compliment. This one was really just simple shapes piled on top of each other. It really is the software and amazing symbols that make this look impressive.
    • DogtagDogtag Moderator, Betatester Traveler
      That cavern is really neat! I especially like the multiple levels. What a great map to use for melee! I can just imagine what my players (or I, for that matter) would do with the varied elevations. That little "balcony" at the bottom of the stairs is pretty cool.

      But I'm especially impressed with the symbol, in spite of the alignment issue. It looks fantastic with that cobblestone fill.

      ~Dogtag
    • edited April 2016
      Dogtag is right the symbol is really cool.

      I couldn't resist playing with this and I got it to work properly. For this symbol, when importing the png, set the Symbol Origin to the middle/center.
    • DkarrDkarr Traveler
      Posted By: ShessarDogtag is right the symbol is really cool.

      I couldn't resist playing with this and I got it to work properly. For this symbol, when importing the png, set the Symbol Origin to the middle/center.
        Thanks for the info. That was one of the settings I had tried but it was not doing what I wanted. I'll explain.

        I think the problem I have has to do particularly with irregular symbols. If I try longer and narrower symbols does the same origin location stay true? In the symbols included with the software it seems like their origin point is always the midpoint of the front edge. It is that particular placement that I could not reproduce. And that origin makes it easier for exact placement of the symbol on the map. I thought it had to do with control points but that seems to have nothing to do with it.

        I'll keep experimenting.

        BTW, I noticed that there was no template for iso symbols so I spent a bit of time looking for it. Here's the template for isometric symbols. Place it where your other symbol catalog templates are located (CC3Plus\Templates\Symbol Catalogs) and it will make the import of isometric png symbols or the creation of isometric vector symbols easier.

        Hope that helps.
      • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 46 images Cartographer
        The origin options in the symbol import dialog is not really designed for isometric symbols.

        I'll recommend that you open up the symbol for editing, and use View -> Move Origin to set the origin manually exactly where you want it.
      • DkarrDkarr Traveler
        Posted By: MonsenThe origin options in the symbol import dialog is not really designed for isometric symbols.

        I'll recommend that you open up the symbol for editing, and use View -> Move Origin to set the origin manually exactly where you want it.
        Thank you, that was exactly what I was looking for. That did the trick exactly as I needed.
      • DkarrDkarr Traveler
        edited April 2016
        Okay, I have to really give kudos to ProFantasy. For years I have used their software to great result and their software does some amazing things. But Perspectives 3 is a whole new level of awesome and does some pretty amazing things with very little effort. Things that I have been wanting to do for a very, very long time (since Dungeoneer's Survival Guide for AD&D 1e - Look it up).

        Granted, it took me several hours yesterday of playing around with pngs to create isometric symbols, and my first results were not very satisfying at all, but the exercise really payed off today when it took me the better part of 10 minutes to create a pretty good looking iso symbol for an airlock. I didn't do any cleanup of the symbol so it still has some "dirty" edges, but it works right out of the box, which is what I wanted.

        The picture below shows Walls and Floors created by simply taking images available on the web and creating fills for them. My experimentation with symbols allowed me to take a png of an airlock and create a symbol for placing on the walls, and it places correctly where I wanted.

        Thanks ProFantasy.
      • That is amazing Dkarr! And you are right. This opens a whole new world of mapping. Things I've always wanted to do are now possible. I'm glad I'm not the only one excited over this. Proantasy has outdone themselves this time.

        Way to go on the symbol creation! I'm sure I'll do the same as the need arises. I look forward to seeing more!
      • I have the DSG, the WSG, and some beige books for OD&D, and lots of other stuff from TSR and Judges Guild.

        So, when can we expect the tutorial for creating iso symbols fomr you Dkarr ?
      • DkarrDkarr Traveler
        Thanks for the praise but it should really go to ProFantasy. They've just opened the door of awesome possibilities.

        Yeah, the DSG was one of those books that really caught my interest because of the isometric projection map sheets. Unfortunately my artistic penchant was not really good for that type of thing. I've always looked at the Ravenloft Module Map as one of those that is part tool but really it is mostly art. I've always loved isometric projection maps.

        I'll see what I can put together for a tutorial for symbols. The only problem is that it also requires access to image manipulation software and that is an important step. I'm using a very old version of Photoshop but I'm sure most of the techniques would work similarly with any image editing suite.

        There are 2 functions of Perspectives 3 that are really impressing me. 3D Projection, which allows you to take a flat surface object and align to the isometric view. The other is the automatic alignment of flat fills to the same view. That is such a fantastic time saver.
      • Yep. The DSG was my first exposure to isometric art too. Some of the underdark art is still my favorite. It's what started my one time obsession with the underdark, long before Salvatore started his Drizzt series.

        Wow, memories.
      • JimPJimP 🖼️ 280 images Cartographer
        edited April 2016
        This is Per 3, with a bitmap fill imported From: Story Weaver High Space annual. Then used that as a poly floor, then a poly wall piece. I had to make a new floor/wall using the Perspective Settings upper left of CC3+ with Per 3 running. With Per_Paving_Gray Floor. That fades out the basic floor/wall, so the Alien bitmap fill shows better.

        I can see this for details of space/star ships. You could just as easily add the metal, etc. floors into this.
      • JimP, The Story Weaver High Space annual has quite a few great textures. I think they are all or mostly created with Genetica. It's the software that I use to create new textures. This gave me a great idea for creating windows and doors for Per3. Something else to put on my list of things to try.

        Posted By: Monsen View -> Move Origin to set the origin manually exactly where you want it.
        What an odd menu to put that command under. Have I ever actually opened that menu since first buying the software? (Probably not)

        IMHO it should be under the Symbol Manager or Edit menus. No matter. I now know that it exists and where to find it. Once again Monsen, we would all be lost without your unparalleled knowledge of this software. Thank you!
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